Dolcenotte12

The dominican buffet may not be an option indoors. Ask to find out. I think most brides had an included welcome dinner/rehearsal dinner. I lucked out and had 2 =), one at the pool soiree and one in the toscana restaurant. Ana and I had different days scheduled for the rehearsal dinner so she organized both!! The chance of rain is always a possibility for a destination beach wedding. But Punta Cana does not get that much rain during the day. If you have an outdoor reception, there is more of a chance it will rain at night during that time. It's a chance I took. Whenever we are there, it always is wet when we wake up and rains after we are are going back to our room after dinner/drinks. On occasion, they do have a day of of straight rain, but that happened only once in my 3 times there and 40 days there =) due to a bad storm that hit PR... so the chances are pretty good for nice weather. Even if you take your pictures earlier than sunset time, you can ask your photographer to take you back by the beach for a few minutes when the sun sets. That's we did. Severine from Photo Souvenir called us down to the water when the sky was so colorful from the sunset and then we resumed celebrating! I would not center your schedule around the sunset because things get delayed or finish faster than predicted,etc. It will all work out! Here is one of our sunset pics. Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration There are only a few restaurants that you are allowed to wear shorts to dinner, The Grill, Lobster House, and Oregano. These are all outdoor open-air restaurants. Also, the dominican beach buffet night and pool soiree night you can be very casual too. I have heard they turn people away if they do not follow the dress code at night. During the day, i was turned away from lunch because my coverup was wet on the butt area lol. For night at the fancier restaurants, you can still dress casual and I'm sure your men can get away with sandals rather than flipflops. They are very strict about the shorts though. i tend to bring light sundresses and capris for dinner, always with sandals. My husband usually wears closed shoes, light khakis, and short sleeved button down..some nights he would get away with a dressier looking flipflop.

I highly recommend the company that is included in your package, PhotoSouvenir. I was married at Excellence and had Severine as my photographer. She is outstanding. They are a very professional and talented company. Best of all, they are onsite ready to service you right at Excellence. They are not like other resort photographers, they service all the resorts in the Punta Cana area, they are just stationed at Excellence. I love my pictures and am so happy I chose them.

The satin ones are heaving and thicker. The organza are sheer and flowy. I prefer the organza for that reason, more fitting for the beach. But I have seen other kinds used. In the end, it is not a major detail. Some people just leave the white chair covers and it looks just as nice. Since our wedding was on the beach, we had a Dominican style buffet dinner with Domingo the saxophonist playing in the background, so beautiful. Everyone loved the wedding food. They loved the cocktail hour food too. And these positive comments came from some people that did not care for the restaurant food so much. I personally think the food fluctuates from good to amazing overall. I don't think we ever had a bad meal there and we've been there quite a few times. I do believe if you have your reception inside one of the restaurants, it is plated and I think you only get one or two selections for people to choose from =/ . This is why I liked the buffet, more selection. It was such a unique reception. I loved every minute of it. I have a serious food allergy and the executive chef (he left, there is someone else now, I'm sure going to miss him) made sure to oversee the wedding food and our entire honeymoon. Every night our table was waiting for us and decorated with flowers and he was there in the kitchen while the cooks prepared my meals. He made me a special dessert at our rehearsal dinner ( mango mousse, yum) and at some dinners ( I kept asking for the mango mousse lol). He even made me a special second cake for the wedding so I could eat cake!! Haha..I can't personally comment on the cake, it looked nice and people said it tasted good, I think we picked strawberry and chocolate filling.

Diva, I got my bows on Ebay..they were cheap. My wedding reception was on the beach. We danced in the sand =). We danced and partied really hard, oh yes! LOL I am not sure about inside the restaurants..I wouldn't think its an extra cost. We did not pay for the wedding until after it was over. They just added the bill to our room. There is no deposit for this resort. One thing I can tell you is that the staff there go above and beyond to make your wedding day and honeymoon a dream come true! Excellence has some of the friendliest people we ever met. Ana is a truly amazing person and I don't know Lisbeth that well, but she seems so sweet. She helped Ana with my wedding. I've been to this resort 3 times already and are planning on 4th trip soon!!

Hey I got the bug wipes from avon..pretty good deal I think. I thought about sunscreen too but changed my mind... I think most people definitely bring sunscreen, but I figured alot of them didn't consider bug spray...so that's why I put them in there. But it is nice to do anyway and a mini size is handy to have. I think they always put the white chair covers unless you specify differently. I don't think there is a charge for that. I'm pretty sure there is a charge for the chair bows. We brought royal blue ones so we didn't have to pay per chair bow and I left them there, even some unopened packages. I do think they charge per chair bow though, I guess for labor. We also had the gold package. It was just amazing all around. I figured all the packages were so cheap, might as well splurge for the best one! LOL If you have any questions about the package, feel free to ask.

We made welcome bags for our guests that Ana handed out at the rehearsal dinner. We didn't give beach tote bags because our guests were all in the club so they got one in the room, but I think it is a great idea if you are booking regular rooms because that is something a lot of people won't think to bring with them. We had clear bag monogrammed with our names and date in our wedding colors and stuffed them with monogrammed frisbees (loved this), oriental trading fans, spanish phrasebooks (from amazon), Bliss Skincare travel set, bug repellant packets, bath and body works mini-antibacterial gel, a dominican republic magnet, and a dominican republic natural plant photo album (the last two from Nancy's shop near Excellence) We packed them the day of the rehearsal dinner and Ana came to pick them up. The travel skin care sets were heavy, but the frisbees do take up a decent amt of room but weigh very little which is nice. I bet alot of people couldn't care less about the bags, but I'm sure some did! lol If you don't want to make or bring bags due to restricted luggage space, you can offer the female guests a complimentary manicure at the spa (pretty much equals the price of one finished welcome bag).

Boston, doesn't time fly? LOL I want to do my wedding all over again!!!

Hitched, we hired Domingo the saxophone player for our ceremony and reception for one hour during dinner. it was so beautiful. He is such a warm hearted, passionate person. He is so dear to us. We have known him quite a few years and he was so honored to play at our wedding. He will work with you on your selections. If you are getting married at Excellence, just tell your wedding planner you are interested in Domingo. To this day, everyone still talks about the saxophonist and how romantic/beautiful it was. We also had the dominican band for one hour instead of the mariachi trio. The dominican band got everyone moving and we did the conga, limbo, played their instruments and frolicked in the sand lol!! It was great..after that we had our music on cds that played from the speakers. We also had it on the ipod in case. Everything worked like a charm!

Majestic Colonial is NOT Adults only..sorry. I hear its great though. Good luck! I think Excellence is the only resort where the entire resort is adults only. Some resorts have adult only sections such as: Punta Cana Princess Royal suites by Turquesa Iberostar Grand Royal Catalonia Gran Bahia Ambar

Unfortunately, the chairs are just plastic lawn chairs. I'm sure some of them are not in the best shape appearance-wise either. I would definitely request chair covers to be put on them. Some people don't prefer to use chair bows, but I think a cover is a must. What did you have in mind?

Happy Valentine's day everyone!! Trose, my bridesmaids had hot pink gerbera daisies..i think there were 3 or 4 daisies in each bouquet..They were big daisies..may be a bit smaller than you get around here, but I thought they were perfect. My bouquet had white orchids and I thought they were perfect. I believe there a few pictures where you can see the bouquet through my snapfish shared albums. I also had one in my hair. My mom and mother in law had hot pink orchid corsages. They both loved it. I personally thought Ana/ the florist did a great job with the flowers. I think it was Amarylis who did my hair too if I remember correctly. Really, they know how to do hair! I was impressed because my hair can be wild and frizzy lolol. I also did heavier eye makeup than normally, but I used dark brown, not black..i wanted it to be more natural. Instead of sharp lines with the eyeliner, soft smudgy, smoky looks are nice for the beach. You know its weird, I dont remember the timeline of the wedding day so much..I wasn't rushed, I remember that. I felt like the spa was relaxing. The executive chef even sent champagne, cheese, fruit, and crackers to the spa for the bridal party. Basically, we owned that place for the day lolol. If anyone can get their hands on the imperial suite to get ready, that's awesome! It is so spacious , romantic, and elegant! Debbie, it was nice that you were able to get ready there! Michelle

I posted some links to pics in the post before my "I miss Excellence" rant! LOL Stick with 4pm wedding time. This is better. We took pictures afterwards for about 2 hrs. It was supposed to be only for 1 1/2 hrs but we weren't done. I took some portraits and family pictures before the ceremony at the spa. After the ceremony, we did all of our family pictures, bridal party pictures, and some more of just me, just Steve, and then both of us. I got my hair done around 2 and did my makeup right after. Our wedding was scheduled for 4:30 but started at like 5. it's all beach except for those few steps over the "mini bridge" so not sure you what you mean. Ana took my dress and Steve's outfit from me as soon as I got there and before we even checked in. Just breathe, I'm so excited for you..do you mind if I relive my wedding through you LOLOLOL

Let me clarify about the eyeliner, I should have said it's not a good idea to wear a lot of eyeliner on the beach or heavy eye makeup in general. I wore a dark brown liner, espresso color. I feel black is too heavy for a beach wedding. Maybe if it's smoky it would be fine. Basically, it comes down to trying different colors/looks on you to see what you like best and works best with your skin tone/hair/eye color, etc. I'll answer the rest in a bit!

Omg i miss excellence!!

Oh i found out a way to do it on here: This is the agave patio..this is a great spot for pictures!! here it is in true color: Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration And here it is in sepia so you get an idea how some pictures might look: Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration these are the columns that are good for pictures too: Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration This is the lobster house veranda..I wouldn't call it a terrace really..who knows what to call it..looking at it again...I know I made the right choice for the cocktail hour..but seriously guests will be happy anywhere there is food lol Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration This is the best picture I had of the cascade pool area..to the left there is a wider space where tables would fit, it's not seen in the picture..I think Debbie did her reception by the cascade pool if I'm not mistaken..look at her pictures. I like this for a wedding ceremony and for pictures. This is the natural park I referred to in one of my posts. Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration Snapfish: Share Photo:Registration Let me know what you think of the pictures!

hi Nikki...I think thats a nice idea to hop back in the horse and carriage for some pics with your new hubby.. I didnt think about what a great idea that was until days after the wedding..oh well!! I wasn't very comfortable in it anyway because my dress was so fitted..I couldn't really step up into it because there was no flexibility for my legs to move up and down! Hope you get your chance and it works out well! It makes a for a beautiful experience! The photographer would have room to sit across from you, but Severine took some pics of me getting into it and sitting in it with my mother and then ran to the beach to get pics of my husband and bridal party right before the anticipated moment. Also, it is a tight squeeze and even if you got pics on there, no one would see that you were in the carriage anyway, I think it's better for the photographer to take the pictures at more of a distance. Did you ask Ana how long the runner is..I'm not so good with numbers but i'd say its not so close..you do have to walk a bit to get to the "altar" lol. I'm guessing maybe 30-50 yards.If anything you can space them out more if you don't have enough. The Lobster House veranda itself is not a huge deal..what makes it so nice is that it is separated by a walkway from the Lobster house restaurant. You also get the breeze from the ocean there because its close to the beach and has a nice view. I don't know how to attach pictures here, so if you message me your email address, I can look for my pictures that I have of it and send it to you. Unfortunately, we don't have wedding pictures of it because we were off on the beach doing our pics while everyone gathered there. I am sure Ana takes brides around to different locations, that's why it is great to get there beforehand. I had the luxury of being at Excellence 3 other times previous to my wedding so I pretty much knew the resort inside out! I was all set on the Agave patio (beautiful antique architecture there) and last minute (night before) we changed our mind to stay closer to the beach, not having to worry about other Excellence guests walking through the party like you have to worry with Agave, and for our guests to stay cool. Everyone said the cocktail hour was great! I wouldn't worry about hair either. They do an awesome job! And they make sure the style stays! They know it can breezy/windy on the beach. I'm a makeup artist part time (did my own makeup for the wedding) and I recommend a very natural look for the beach. I did my eyes a little heavier than I like normally, but I'm glad because you would not have see any eye makeup otherwise. I brought Smashbox liquid and halo powder and it was great in the sun! It stays, seems to be anti sweat, and is a great makeup for professional photos. For the eyes, I would avoid anything sparkly or too light in color and to not wear a black liner on the beach. I'm sure you can choose colors you like...and I'm sure you can bring your own makeup, go to Sephora and try some color and try the Smashbox, I love it. I sometimes wear Bare Escentuals on the weekends when I want something fast, but I did not trust it much in the sun as it has some irridescence. My maid of honor took my "included makeup" session and her makeup came out really nice. She liked it alot. I had a basic french manicure, my toes were awesome and my fingers were good, too. I had them touch up a couple of spots but that's how it usually is for me anywhere. They do it differently than here in the states, but it comes out fine. Your toes might make it ok, but I think you would want freshly painted nails especially because you will be showing off your ring in pics. The sun, sand, and surf will ruin your nails in one day! I got ready at the spa and this was recommended by Ana and the spa ladies. They only say that because they worry the humidity and change in temperature (from spa, to outside, to room, to outside again) will affect your hair before you get to the ceremony. They said it is not a good idea to go back to your room. I agree. Besides, the spa is a nice place to take portraits before you head on your way. I think you should pick a few people to learn how to lace you up so they are not surprised the day of lol. I was worried about this too with my bustle because my friend that altered and bustled my dress couldn't make it to my wedding and I was terrified I wouldn't get it on right and that no one would be able to bustle me so I dragged my best friend to her house a few times to learn how. Also, besides the beautiful beach and spa before you get in the carriage, definitely take pictures by Agave restaurant. So antique there, the restaurant looks like an old castle. people can't believe it when I tell them that it's part of the resort. i would also consider taking some pictures in the gardens near the shops, beautiful spot there that we never made it to. Some brides take some pictures near the columns and walkways near the lobby, this also makes for some pretty shots. Wow, I wrote alot! Hope it helps!

Thanks Debbie! I'm so happy to help. It helps me relive my wedding every time!! I am so glad everything worked out so amazingly for you! Your pictures are so beautiful! We're actually going to book our 5th trip to Excellence in July!! Can't wait to go back to my home away from home!

Thanks..no caves, the whole area there is one endless beach..but you can definitely go off the resort into the dirt roads! That would be a unique TTD! You can also go in the pool of course! Ask your photographer for unique ideas!

Here's some snapfish links to my Excellence Punta Cana wedding. My photographer was Severine from Photo Souvenir. Wedding & Reception: Snapfish: Share:Registration Trash the Dress: Snapfish: Share:Registration Thanks for looking!!

Here's some snapfish links to my Excellence Punta Cana wedding. My photographer was Severine from Photo Souvenir. Wedding & Reception: Snapfish: Share:Registration Trash the Dress: Snapfish: Share:Registration If you have any questions, let me know.

Diva, check out Photo Souvenir. They are stationed at Excellence and they are simply outstanding. Severine from Photo Souvenir was my photographer. Not only is the photography amazing, but so is the followup after the pictures are taken and the timeliness and attention you receive to create the album, video, slideshow you want! Punta Cana Destination wedding photography

Trose, I'm sure that can be done. Ask Ana and if they charge or not. I do not think you need to bring your own vases unless you have a particular vase in mind. We had 3 cylinder vases at each table with fuschia orchids immersed in water and candles floating on top. There was a nice mirror under each centerpiece. It was so beautiful. How many guests will you have? Have you picked flowers or have a certain kind in mind? I'd love to share some pictures with you, but I may need some time because I screwed up my snapfish account. I'll try to fix it and send a link later.

Trose, You will love Ana! Even if she does not end up being your wedding coordinator when you get there, just knowing she is the manager and runs everything at Excellence makes it so amazing! I've heard alot of wedding planner disasters for destination weddings and it just doesn't seem to happen at Excellence (crossing my fingers lol) We saw the fruit lady at the dominican party on the beach a couple of years ago and liked the idea. She cuts up fresh fruit of your choice right in front of you. She comes around carrying fruit on sticks. My only complaint was that she was put in a place where most people didn't even notice her stand so when she wasn't walking around giving out fruit nobody knew where her fruit stand was. It was 50 bucks which was cheap ( I think she was there for 4 hrs??) She even ended up dancing with my brother at the end of the night!! LOL The natural park/gardens is sooo beautiful. It is a very green lush area with ponds, mini bridges over the water, canopies, and a mix of wildlife. I think it would be a very expensive selection for a wedding in the states. The one caveat is that it is soooo hot there, more than anywhere else (especially in the middle of the day) Also, I believe the walkways are lined with gravel so that is something to consider also (yikes, no high heels) so I would tell Ana you might be interested in an non-beach wedding and ask her about the gardens near the shops and see what she says. At the least, it is a beautiful spot to take pictures afterwards. I am sorry we did not get to do that. Any other questions, let me know!

Nikki (oops =) ), I made sure to drink a decent amount of water before the wedding so I would not dehydrate later on. Now that I think of it, I did not drink water for several hours until the reception!!LOL I guess you just don't think about it because you are so excited and busy, same thing with having to use the bathroom!! I also wore a corset which I thought be the end of me, but it was just fine, it was hard for me to get in and out of the horse and carriage because my dress was VERY fitted and the corset didn't help with movement, that's for sure! I felt very warm and sweaty in the spa (more on that in a minute) right before the horse and carriage picked us up and so did my mom. I think it was humid in there and nerves got to us also. Once we got in the horse and carriage the breeze was so calming and cooling. And the beach's breeze was just fantastic!! Not too much, just right and had a nice cooling effect. I'm sure you can change the location of the cocktail hour. I think I changed my mind the day before. I was going to do the patio in front of Agave, but then Ana told me the restaurant will be open so there will be alot of people shuffling through and if we wanted more time for pictures (which we did end up using extra time for that), it would be hard to extend the cocktail hour if the restaurant was open. So we changed it to the Lobster House veranda, which has its own private patio overlooking the beach and is separate from the restaurant. People said it remained breezy and cool there, which was good. That particular area has such a nice view of the ocean/beach too. The service at the spa was incredible! They did my toenails and my bridal party's the day before the wedding. I decided as a special treat to all our guests, whoever wanted to get their nails done, it would be my treat. Some guests took me up on the offer and of course the bridesmaids were treated. The day of the wedding, I had my fingernails done, my hair (which took the longest), all my bridesmaids' hair and my mother in law's hair. I did my own makeup. Ana came to the spa to explain how I wanted my hair and they made it better than I imagine it could be.The girls that worked there were friendly. Everyone complimented my hair throughout the evening and when looking at pictures. When it came to do my makeup, I am very particular about the lighting I need (especially because all pictures would be taken outside). so they carried chairs up the winding staircase for me to sit on and prop my mirror on in the hallway next to the huge window that spans across the entire spa. It was a project, but they were more than happy to make sure I had everything as I needed it. We got dressed in a private room on the second floor and Ana came to make sure my dress was on correctly and that we had the flowers and she took my bridesmaids to the wedding location. I didn't really get any pre wedding pictures with the bridal party aside from a couple "getting ready pictures" and some nice portraits with my mom. But we made up for that later when we took some hilarious bridal party pictures!! Severine from Photo Souvenir took a few pictures of us getting ready in the spa(I didn't want her to take many of those), me alone, and some with my mom and of us in the carriage before the ceremony. The spa made for some pretty pictures.

I haven't been on lately so I'm reading the latest posts now. I am responding as I go. I would definitely recommend bringing your own chair sashes so you know they match with your theme. They take up very little space and weight in a suitcase. They do have white and blue linens at the resort. Trose, I had the beach bbq menu and everyone thought that and the cocktail hour was the best food from the entire trip! I felt like it gave the wedding a real dominican flair! Boston, we had our reception on the beach and no one got any bites and I didn't see one bug, weird right?. (I am the queen of being eaten alive and I didn't even put bug spray on, I completely forgot). I think it depends on if it rained previously and how breezy it is. So like anything else with a destination wedding, there's always the chance.... Our wedding reception was on a cool and breezy night in July with zero rain the entire day. A couple of nights later we went to the dominican party on the beach and it was windy (not breezy) and my hair kept blowing in my face and the chairs and linens were blowing around.The cups were blowing off the table. This could be a possibility as well. To be honest, I knew I wanted a beach reception, so I didn't even worry about these things, what will be will be. We had our cocktail hour by the Lobster House veranda overlooking the ocean. People said they enjoyed the food and the location. I know some brides like to do the cocktail hour outside of Agave restaurant in the patio area. It is nice here because it has an antique feel to it. Monica, there is no deposit required for your wedding. You pay at the resort. You should be entitled to a free welcome dinner for your guests. You also get a discount on your wedding package depending on how many people book the resort. Ask about that. Ana is amazing and she made my wedding truly beautiful! Email response time fluctuates. Sometimes she does not get emails (assuming poor connection), so send it again if you don't hear a response within a week. Ana is the manager of of groups and sales in addition to managing weddings so she is very busy. My wedding was at 4:30 and it was perfect! I think 3:30 will be great too because the beach usually has a nice breeze in the afternoon, it is never too crowded in that area as the beach is so wide, and the water will look extra blue for your pictures with the sun shining down on it!! Debbie, I am surprised you were so hot!! I was amazed how cool I felt the whole night! Maybe we just had a cool day. I do know the cascade pool area gets warm and humid because it is not as near to the beach as the other pool and doesn't get the breeze. It is closed off because of the rooms surrounding it. Trose, I had a cigar roller and the fruit lady for our receoption on the beach. The guys really loved the cigars. We also had Domingo the saxophonist play during dinner and the Dominican band for one hr which was so much fun..We got to play with their instruments, do the conga, limbo, and everyone just acted crazy during that time! LOL We had no DJ, we just played cds we burned our song selections onto. Ana took care of playing the music. We partied really hard (literally) until about midnight. You can get married at the gazebo, under the Oregano restaurant (part outdoors, its pretty there), in the natural park with the flamingos, birds, turtles, ducks, or at the cascade pool if you do not want to be in the sand. I think the natural park is a beautiful alternative location to be married in.I loved going to the natural park everyday. It will be hot there, be forewarned!! There is NO pier at Excellence Punta Cana. Stacey, I think you are thinking of Mexico!! If anyone has any questions, I would love to help! My wedding was a a dream come true, in every way!!! I look at my album so often and it makes me want to cry everytime!!! Michelle